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LA Clippers Complete Comeback, Defeat Sixers 102-101
The LA Clippers just became the only team in the NBA this season with multiple 24-point comebacks, and this one ironically came against Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Doc Rivers has historically been prone to blowing big leads, as he currently has five of the eight biggest blown leads in the playoffs the last two seasons. With the 76ers once leading by as many as 24, Doc did not call a timeout until that lead was cut down to just two, and by that point it was too late.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, this blown lead for the 76ers is the largest they have allowed since the play-by-play era began in 1996. It goes without saying, but this was a disastrous loss for a 76ers team that had been trending in the right direction. For the Clippers, it was a much needed jolt to kickstart the remainder of a long road trip.
The Clippers fell in a tough overtime loss to Denver at the start of this road trip, but being able to get a win against the 76ers will certainly go a long way towards building their confidence. The team was led by Reggie Jackson, who had another solid performance, pouring in 19 points and 9 assists on 8/14 from the field. Five other Clippers scored in double figures as well, with Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard, Ivica Zubac, and Amir Coffey all reaching double digit points.
Joel Embiid certainly looked like an MVP candidate, pouring in 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, but coach Ty Lue credited Nicolas Batum after the game for helping wear him down towards the end of the game. Embiid was dominant throughout, but the Clippers helped deny him as many times as possible, forcing others to beat them down the stretch.
The Clippers will now head to New York on Sunday to take on the Knicks at 10:00 AM PST.
